What Really Goes on at Dog Shows

(There is also a Miscellaneous Class for breed pending full recognition, however the Miscellaneous class does not go for Best in Show). For example, the Herding Group is dogs of various breeds that were bred to work livestock. The Terrier Group is the various Terrier breeds.

Here, the judge has to decide what dog comes closest to it particular standard as compared to the other breeds and their standards. Is the Rough Collie closer to its standard than the Belgian Shepherd is to its? From the various breeds in the Group will come the Group Winner.

Now we come to the biggie! Best in Show! The seven group winners go back into the ring to compete. As with the Group, the dogs are judges based on how close they are to their individual standard as compared to the others. It can sometimes come down to which dog just seems to "want" the win. What dog is really enjoying himself and playing up on that day? The dog that fits his standard the closest and has that "I can win" attitude will become Best in Show.

Now what about those other rings – you know the ones with jumps and stuff? Well, those are the Obedience Rings. Obedience dogs do not have to be show quality – they have to be purebred and registered to show (the United Kennel Club will allow crossbreeds to compete in Obedience).

Obedience has three levels: Novice, Open, and Utility. Each dog competes against a set of points for each exercise. A dog must gain at least 50% of the points per exercise and have a final score of 170 or better with a perfect score being 200. If a dog can do this, he has earned a qualifying leg. After three legs, the dog can move to the next level of competition.

Dogs can obtain various Obedience Titles: Companion Dog (after completing three Novice Legs); Companion Dog Excellent (after completing three Open legs); Utility Dog (after completing three Utility legs); Utility Dog Excellent (for UD dogs who have qualified in both Open and Utility at ten Obedience Trails) and finally Obedience Trail Champion.

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